Local News

One of the last times I attended an economic development summit, almost all I got was a lousy facsimile New Mexico license plate saying, “New Ideas New Technologies.” A bunch of papers also came home and sat on a shelf for much of the Richardson administration.

The license plate pérdida de tiempo was under the stewardship of John Garcia, Secretary of Economic Development and Tourism under Gary Johnson. Now Garcia’s Republican successor, Jon Barela, plans a “New Century Economic Summit” Oct. 2 in Albuquerque. (Where else?)

Most of the background material is on the website of New Mexico First, the policy discussion organization that will facilitate the meeting. See nmfirst.org/events.

I remember Bob Nunz mostly as a person who used tennis as a social gathering that provided some physical exercise in the whacking of a ball. Usually when I arrived at the courts, Bob was already there as he got up early to serve wife Mary coffee-in-bed (wives should be so lucky)! He would greet me with “How are you, young feller?” Of course, Bob at 73 was just 8 months older than me! He liked to remind me that several other players were in their eighties, so I was indeed just a young “feller.”

Bob and I had similar opinions about some of the things that were happening at the upper levels of county government and a common interest in tennis provided a venue for some banter about what either he or I had written or were going to write in a letter-to-the-editor of the Los Alamos Monitor. I‚ll miss him for his expressed interest in what should be done for the best interest of the majority in our community and not what could be forged through be a few.

The Los Alamos Hilltopper boys soccer team didn’t get much going Tuesday afternoon against a solid opponent in the St. Michael’s Horsemen, but still came away with a victory.

The Hilltoppers and Horsemen played to a scoreless tie through 100 minutes before the Hilltoppers hit five straight penalty kicks to take a 1-0 victory at Brother Abdon Field.

Chris Parker, who relieved starting goalkeeper Tyler Mullen late in the second overtime period, specifically for a potential shootout, blocked three St. Mike’s penalty kick attempts to preserve the victory, while he, Dallin Parker, Cooper Christensen, Nick Thoma and Ben Stewart converted five consecutive attempts to pick up the victory.

Members of the public interested in upcoming improvements planned for Ashley Pond Park are invited to attend a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 20 in council chambers, 475 20th St., to review the 30 percent design plans with Parks Manager Dick McIntyre and the consultant, Sites Southwest LLC. Public comment will be accepted during this meeting.

The improvements to Ashley Pond Park are slated for construction beginning in February 2013. Design work will wrap up this winter, with a second public meeting at 90 percent design set for mid-November.

This project has been funded by the county council as part of the County’s Capital Improvement Program with a project budget of $2.2 million.

Due to weather, officials with the Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities have indicated that a lane closure scheduled to occur on Thursday September 13 will now occur on Friday September 14. The eastbound traffic lane on East Road near Los Alamos county Fire Station 6 and Tewa Loop will be closed beginning at 8:30 a.m.

Construction crews replacing a section of natural gas line along the south side of East Road will excavate into the closed lane to tie the new line into the gas distribution system. No interruption of gas services is expected.

Chamisa Elementary became the center of celebration Wednesday, as students and school officials gathered to celebrate a prestigious honor.

People turned out to recognize Los Alamos winning the America’s Promise Alliance’s “One Hundred Best Communities for Young People”

Each year, APA honors 100 communities across the nation that demonstrate innovative ways it helps its youth through APA’s “Five Promises” strategy. Those five promises include “Caring Adults,” “Safe Places,” “A Healthy Start,” “Effective Education” and “Opportunities to Help Others.”

One of the main initiatives of the APA is to boost the national high school graduation rate, and the “promises” are part of the strategy.

The Los Alamos County Council unanimously passed a resolution designating the Los Alamos Historical Society (LAHS) as the lead agency responsible for communicating the interests and participation of Los Alamos in the development of the proposed Manhattan Project National Historic Park.

“There have been a number of discussions and meetings where representatives from the various localities, particularly Hanford and Oakridge and Los Alamos, have been conversing. One shortcoming in Los Alamos County is we have not had a designated point of contact,” Burgess said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say some 50 Marines are being sent to Libya to reinforce security at U.S. diplomatic facilities in the aftermath of an attack in the eastern city of Benghazi that killed the U.S. ambassador and three American members of his staff.

The Marines are members of an elite group known as a Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team, whose role is to respond on short notice to terrorism threats and to reinforce security at U.S. embassies. They operate worldwide.

The officials who disclosed the plan to send the Marines spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.